Plot: What’s it about?
Harry Stoner (Jack Lemmon) has lived by his drive to survive, so his moral code has often been pushed to the side. He has a comfortable house, a beautiful wife, and a fashion business, but time has taken its toll on him and now he finds himself trapped in this lifestyle. The walls have started to close in on him, as debts pile up and his extravagant lifestyle continues. His company, Capri Casuals has a new line out soon, but at the same time, he has just hired a professional arsonist to torch of one his warehouses. When he takes a moment to reflect, he finds himself wishing for a simpler life, with more focus on morals. But is Harry too deep in his lifestyle to make a change, or can he turn his life around?
I knew Jack Lemmon had won an Oscar for his performance in this film, but this release was the first chance I’ve had to see Save the Tiger. The movie has a very 70s texture, not just in visuals either, but also in refusal to fall into melodrama or simple resolutions. If you need a standard narrative and a happy ending, then Save the Tiger probably shouldn’t be your first choice. The film tries to make us feel as trapped and confined as Lemmon’s character is, with solid success. This is achieved by dropping us into quicksand from the start, then letting us sink deeper. There is very little in the way of relief, so the tension mounts and rarely relents, even as we sink closer to the conclusion. Lemmon turns in a terrific effort and as I said, he earned an Oscar for his work and in my opinion, he deserved the nod. Paramount’s disc is slim on supplements, but the movie is quite good and as such, I will recommend Save the Tiger as a rental.
Video: How does it look?
Save the Tiger is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is about as good as you could ever hope for this movie to look, which is more than enough for me. I was pleased to find a clean source print used and a nearly flawless compression displayed, way to go Paramount! The colors appear a tad muted but on the whole are bright, while flesh tones look natural and consistent. The contrast is right on the money with complex shadows and no visible detail loss.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release includes the original mono track which handles the audio very well, so surround sound isn’t needed here. Even so the music sounds clear and free from distortion and the effects never become muddled or overpowering. This movie has some moments of impact audio, but isn’t audio driven most of the time so this mono track is adequate. The dialogue is clean and clear and no volume issues emerge to ruin the fun. This disc also includes English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The lone supplement here is an audio commentary track, as director John G. Avildsen and writer Steve Shagan share their production memories. The track is a good one, as both men have a lot to share and do so in a candid fashion. On a side note, Paramount doesn’t have this extra listed on the case, which is odd, since extras can boost sales in some cases.
